A new study quantifies the fallacy that adding new roads produces an economic benefit.
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Discover how cities work, the challenges they face, and the solutions they need.
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Bloomberg CityLab reposted this
Like a lot of people, I spent a lot of time cocooned in an office this summer, absorbing air conditioning as the world outside shimmered in the (often dangerous) heat. American desk workers are probably the world’s most profligate consumers of mechanically cooled air, acclimatized to crisp 70 degrees regardless of geography or season. But before World War II, an air-conditioned workplace was a rare luxury, even in torrid Southern cities. On certain afternoons in Washington, DC, as temperatures hit triple digits, I wondered: What would it have been like to work inside on a day like this – and does that history have any lessons about managing today’s extreme heat? As I learned, a key move of the pre-AC era was to know when to give up: Office employees were routinely sent home at lunchtime during hot spells, and authorities in major cities cancelled events and trials when record heat struck in 1936 and 1954. I was surprised to learn that office buildings in the US South didn’t adopt AC much earlier than their northern counterparts, and that many employers initially resisted installing “comfort cooling,” seeing it as a costly indulgence. As one New Orleans historian told me, working in that city involved establishing different expectations for personal comfort. Heat could be managed with an understanding of building ventilation, an electric fan, and a lightweight seersucker suit. The challenge today is that those tools are no match for the kind of temperatures US cities are now experiencing, thanks not only to a changing global climate but to the built environment itself: Modern office buildings not only contribute to the emissions that drive temperatures higher, they juice the urban heat island effect that can make downtowns several degrees warmer than nearby areas. Read more about how AC conquered the American office, and what happened after it did, in Bloomberg CityLab:
How Air Conditioning Took Over the American Office
bloomberg.com
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Airbnb urges New York City officials to scale back a local regulation that outlawed most of its short-term rental listings.
Airbnb Urges NYC to Scale Back Short-Term Rental Regulations
bloomberg.com
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Before air conditioning, office workers relied on design features to adapt to high temperatures. But the promise of boosted productivity created a different kind of workplace.
How Air Conditioning Took Over the American Office
bloomberg.com
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Hong Kong’s prime shopping districts once commanded the highest rents in the world. Now they’re hollowing out.
Li Ka-shing’s Luxury Mall Sits Empty as Chinese Spending Plunges
bloomberg.com
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New York City’s biggest insurer of taxis and Ubers is insolvent, risking chaos for drivers and riders.
NYC’s Biggest Taxi Insurer Is Insolvent, Risking Transit Meltdown
bloomberg.com
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New Zealand will almost triple the levy it charges foreign visitors, raising concerns that tourists could be put off.
New Zealand Triples Entry Levy It Charges Foreign Visitors
bloomberg.com
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A rural Japanese bus group is making a foray into AI-assisted forex trades in a bid to survive the country's demographic crisis.
Japan Population Drop Pushes Bus Company to Set Up Hedge Fund
bloomberg.com
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Bloomberg CityLab reposted this
#BloombergScreentime with Lucas Shaw returns to nya studios East in Hollywood 10/9-10th. Join us for conversations with the moguls, celebrities, and entrepreneurs defining the next phase of pop culture. 🎬 https://bloom.bg/4cNq9eG
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Living options that bring together older adults with college students and child care centers may be an answer to the loneliness epidemic.
Intergenerational Housing Could Help Older Adults Combat Loneliness
bloomberg.com